Lorence Wenke and Jerry Vander Roest say they want to focus on the issues as they compete for the Republican nomination for the 63rd state House seat.
But the hostility between the two is obvious.
At a candidate forum Wednesday, Vander Roest made so many digs about his opponent that Larry DeShazor, a state representative candidate for the 61st District, quipped after Vander Roest left early, ``I hope I never have to run against that guy.''
Wenke wasn't at the event. But the next day during a 10-minute conversation with a Kalamazoo Gazette reporter, Wenke made references to Vander Roest's employment history, the condition of his front lawn and his 2003 arrest in a prostitution sting.
``He's had government jobs all his life and he acts like government is the enemy,'' Wenke said.
No, countered Vander Roest, government is not the enemy. He said liberal Republicans like Wenke who keep voting for more taxes are the problem.
The campaign is a rematch of the contentious primary two years ago. In that race, Wenke spent nearly $286,000, including $240,000 of his own money, to win by 90 votes, while Vander Roest spent $17,000.
One of the most divisive issues in 2004 was that of gay marriage. Wenke had expressed his support for gay civil unions and Vander Roest argued for a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Wenke/VanderRoest
The Gazette has an interesting article about the race between Lorence Wenke and Jerry VanderRoest in the 63rd state house district.
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CAMPAIGN FOR
MICHIGAN FAMILIES
3800 East Monroe * Midland, Michigan 48642
NEWS NEWS NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sat., July 29, 2006
CONTACT: Gary Glenn, Chairman 989-430-0652
Phone campaign warns area pastors:
Wenke pushing homosexual agenda
The Campaign for Michigan Families, a political action committee that promotes traditional Judeo-Christian family values, this weekend delivered the following voicemail message to over 200 churches in Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties, warning pastors about Rep. Lorence Wenke's support for homosexual activists' political agenda and his endorsement by homosexual activists in the upcoming primary election.
In the voicemail, Campaign for Michigan Families chairman Gary Glenn, a co-author of the state Marriage Protection Amendment, urges area pastors to "please share the following important information with those who look to you for leadership before the August 8th primary election."
"Pastor, we know your church cannot get involved in political campaigns," Glenn said in the message, "but we urge you as an individual citizen and voter to warn those who look to you for leadership about Lorence Wenke’s allegiance to homosexual activists and their political agenda, and homosexual activists’ support of his election in return."
Wenke in 2004 was one of only three Republicans in the entire Legislature to vote against the Marriage Protection Amendment eventually approved by Michigan voters.
Wenke has been endorsed by three homosexual activist political action committees: Michigan Equality of Lansing, Triangle Pride PAC of Detroit, and Log Cabin Republicans of Washington, D.C.
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Hello, Pastor, this is Gary Glenn. I co-authored the Marriage Protection Amendment approved by Michigan voters in 2004, and I’m chairman of the Campaign for Michigan Families, a political action committee that promotes traditional Judeo-Christian family values, including marriage between one man and one woman.
We urge you, as a respected community leader, to please share the following important information with those who look to you for leadership before the August 8th primary election. Please forgive the length of this message. It’s important you know all the facts.
In the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives, incumbent politician Lorence Wenke is supported by homosexual activist groups who want to radically redefine marriage and the family in their own image rather than God’s.
In the 2004 election, Lorence Wenke was the only Republican candidate in the entire state endorsed by Michigan Equality, a Lansing homosexual activist group that paid for thousands of campaign letters and phone calls supporting him.
Wenke is also endorsed by Triangle Pride PAC, a Detroit homosexual activist group that not only promotes homosexual and sadomasochist behavior, but supports distributing condoms at elementary schools, threatened to sue Detroit unless it cut funding for local Boy Scouts, and called Catholic Cardinal Maida of Detroit, quote, “recklessly wicked,” unquote, for supporting Michigan’s Marriage Protection Amendment.
The Log Cabin PAC, a national homosexual group, features Lorence Wenke on its website as a “hero” and honored him at their 2005 national convention in New Orleans.
Wenke’s record makes clear why he is endorsed and financially supported by homosexual activist groups.
Wenke voted against Michigan’s Marriage Protection Amendment and against even letting the people of Michigan vote on the issue. In the Battle Creek Enquirer, he called the marriage amendment a quote, "misguided religiously based attack on homosexual rights," unquote.
Wenke’s support for homosexual activists’ political agenda goes far beyond marriage. The Kalamazoo Gazette reported that Wenke, quote, "voices support for gay rights in terms even some Democrats are hesitant to use," unquote.
In response to their candidate survey, Wenke told the Michigan Family Forum that he supports changing Michigan law to let adults involved in homosexual relationships adopt children.
Wenke was one of only two Republicans in the entire Legislature to sponsor legislation to repeal Michigan’s homosexual sodomy law.
Wenke is also one of only two Republicans sponsoring a bill to grant special rights and legal protection based on homosexual behavior, the exact same kind of legislation being used in some cities and states to discriminate against and persecute the Boy Scouts and Salvation Army because they believe homosexual behavior is morally wrong, and used this spring to violate the religious freedom of Catholic Charities in Boston by forcing them to process homosexual adoptions…or abandon adoption services altogether.
Wenke is one of only three Republicans sponsoring dangerous legislation to add homosexual behavior to Michigan’s “hate crimes” law, the exact same type of legislation used in Europe, Canada, and now even in some U.S. states to threaten, persecute, and even criminally prosecute Christians who dare speak out publicly against homosexual behavior, even from the pulpit. Do we want that here in Michigan?
Pastor, we know your church cannot get involved in political campaigns, but we urge you as an individual citizen and voter to warn those -- who look to you for leadership -- about Lorence Wenke’s allegiance to homosexual activists and their political agenda, and homosexual activists’ support of his election in return.
If you’d like documentation of any issue mentioned in this voicemail, please contact the Campaign for Michigan Families, which paid for this message. Our e-mail address is cmf@chartermi.net.
And even though you can’t endorse candidates from the pulpit, please do encourage your church to vote in the primary election on Tuesday, August 8th.
Thank you, Pastor, and God bless.
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